


run, run, run

by bebopesque



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Getting Together, M/M, Post-Time Skip, miyagi first years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:41:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28528632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bebopesque/pseuds/bebopesque
Summary: loving kunimi akira is easy, forgetting him is hard and kageyama is tired from running for years after years.inspired by the line "love is so short, forgetting is so long" by pablo neruda.
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio & Kindaichi Yuutarou, Kageyama Tobio/Kunimi Akira
Comments: 5
Kudos: 45





	run, run, run

**Author's Note:**

> song recommendation of the day is [nan chun 난춘 by se so neon](https://open.spotify.com/track/320twJYO0LC64eWCuCC5vj?si=bDLfmA6xRYyOyBErUvYG3A).

When Kindaichi first invited Kageyama to join him for a casual game of volleyball with the other former first-year volleyball players from the old Miyagi Training Camp, his first response was to ask if he is even allowed to join in the first place.

“I’m not exactly part of the original invitees of the camp,” he reasoned.

His friend laughed. “So does Hinata and he said he’ll come.”

“That’s different.”

“Koganegawa will invite Sakunami and Tsukishima will invite both Yamaguchi and Yachi-san,” Kindaichi explained, before adding, “You know, I’m not going to force you to come if you don’t want to-”

“No, I want to,” Kageyama said, immediately regretting cutting his friend’s explanation off.

“I’ll add you to the group chat then,” Kindaichi said before taking his phone out and beginning to type out something in it. Minutes later, Kageyama felt his phone buzzing and he took it as a sign that the invitation had been sent to him.

“So who else will be there?” Kageyama asked his friend again as the two of them made their way to the train station, before the street got even more crowded with office workers who have just finished their work.

“Aside from the people that I’ve mentioned before, Goshiki and Kunimi will be there as well,” Kindaichi replied, before letting out a sigh. “Can’t you believe Kunimi initially refused to play because apparently it’s not fair since he hasn’t exercised since high school? Like it’s our fault,”

For a moment, Kageyama's mind wandered back to middle school days with Kunimi and high school days without him.

“I can believe that.”

“Let’s hope our old friend will actually show up and play,” Kindaichi muttered as the two of them stepped inside the train carriage.

The last time Kageyama saw Kunimi, he was still quite high from the adrenaline after playing a match between the Adlers and the Jackals. While he remembered the promise he made to both Kunimi and Kindaichi, he didn’t remember exactly how beautiful Kunimi looked. Yet here he was, standing across from Kageyama with a volleyball net once again separating them, looking ethereal as always.

A light tap on his shoulder brought Kageyama back to reality. He turned to his side and saw Hinata now standing next to him.

“Be not afraid, Yamayama.”

Kageyama thought he heard Tsukishima say something along the line of, “Isn’t that a bible phrase?”, yet all he could say to his friends as he watched Kunimi took his position from across the volleyball net was,

“Hinata, this is the scariest moment of my life.”

The sound of laughter coming from his friends were soon enveloped by the sound of whistle, signaling that the game had begun once again and for all of the players to fall into the rhythm of it.

The game is wrapped after two hours and since a majority of them are too hungry and worn out to extend the booking time for the gym, they were all quick to head to the showers afterwards. By the time Kageyama finished his shower, he was sure that most of his friends had finished theirs since he failed to hear any kind of noises coming from the changing room. However, the universe likes to play a joke on him since as soon as he walked out of the shower and into the changing room, he found himself being in the same space as one Kunimi Akira. Beautiful and shirtless Kunimi Akira.

Out of courtesy and in an attempt to hide his blushing face, Kageyama looked down and took a seat on one of the benches. The act of tying his shoelaces never seemed to be so complicated before yet Kageyama tried his best. In retrospect, he probably would have succeeded had his reflexes not caused him to raise his head after he finished tying his right shoelaces. Soon, he found himself staring at a patch of ink decorating the side of Kunimi’s rib.

It’s not small and Kunimi probably has to wrap a bandage around it if he were to go to a public bath but it’s also not big enough that it would attract attention from anyone. Kageyama didn’t even realize he had been staring for a long time until he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. When he looked up, his eyes met Kunimi’s.

“Can I help you with something?” Kunimi asked.

It’s a simple question really but Kageyama found himself thinking over it longer than he should. In the end, he settled with saying,

“Nice tattoo.”

Kunimi turned his gaze to his own tattoo before saying, “Oh this? Thanks,”

Kageyama wants to run his fingers through it, tracing the black ink decorating Kunimi’s pale white skin with his hand and maybe other parts of his body as well. He can’t though. He knows he can’t and so he settled on asking questions to keep his brain from thinking of Kunimi and his skin.

“Why tree?” was the first question.

“Because a castle design would be too big,” was what Kunimi told him as the two of them walked behind the others on their way to the nearest restaurant.

To ask him about the reasoning behind castle being the first option would be an equivalent of asking the color of Aoba Johsai’s jersey and to ask about the policy on having tattoos at Kunimi’s workplace seems to be equally rhetorical. In the end, as the group waited for Yamaguchi and Kindaichi to ask for tables outside of the restaurant, Kageyama asked,

“When did you get it?”

“Last year,” Kunimi told him as they both followed the rest of the group inside the restaurant.

They sit next to each other inside the private room of the restaurant but Kageyama thinks it’s mostly because they entered last and thus Kunimi can’t exactly choose his seating position. Still, Kageyama felt his heart stopped beating for a millisecond the first time their shoulder brushed and he suddenly felt naked inside the room. He looked up to the ceiling and was confused as to why the room suddenly spins. At some point, it gets too much and he’s worried he might vomit out of dizziness so he closed his eyes.

“Are you okay?” it was Kunimi’s voice that brought him back to reality.

When Kageyama opened his eyes, he could feel everyone’s eyes were on him. Kunimi’s hands were on his back and Yachi was kneeling next to him with a worried expression on her face.

“Drink this,” Goshiki offered him a cup of tea. “It’s sweet tea.”

Kageyama finished the drink in one gulp. “Thank you,” was all he could say.

“Lack of sugar can do that to you,” Goshiki added before turning to face the rest of the group. “What? Shirabu-san told me so,”

“Playing volleyball with minimal breaks was a bad idea after all, huh?” Kindaichi muttered as he took a sip from his own cup of tea.

“I see Goshiki is still being babied by his seniors,” Tsukishima said and Kageyama watched as the rest of the group laughed and fell into a rhythm of conversation but all he could focus on is the warmness of Kunimi’s hand on his back.

The food and drinks came and as Kageyama began munching on whatever Yachi, who somehow remained seated next to him, put on his place, he couldn't help but miss the feeling of Kunimi’s hands on his back.

“Feeling better?” Kunimi asked him, in a whisper-like tone, while the others were entertaining Hinata and his proposal for the others to visit him in Brazil.

“Yes,” was all Kageyama could say but he supposed that’s enough as Kunimi gave him a small smile before turning his attention back to the food.

Dinner came to an end hours later and soon Kageyama found himself walking towards the train station together with Kunimi, after the latter was forced by Kindaichi and Yachi to make sure that he made it back safely. The fact that their apartment buildings are close to one another was the excuse concocted by Kindaichi but Kageyama caught an amused expression on his face, as well as Hinata’s and Tsukishima’s. Kunimi keeps both of his hands inside his jacket’s pockets throughout the journey and Kageyama is glad because he’s a weak man and all he wants is to feel the warmth of Kunimi’s hands again.

“Where did you get it?” Kageyama asked as they took a seat inside the train.

“This fancy place in Ginza,” Kunimi replied. “My sister’s friend works there so I got a nice discount.”

“How nice?”

“70%,” Kunimi replied, clearly amused by Kageyama’s shocked expression. “Yeah, I couldn’t exactly say no to that. It’s almost stupid of me to only got one really.”

Upon hearing that, something inside Kageyama stirred. “Would you like to get another one?”

Kunimi shrugged. “I’d still like to have a castle design but I haven’t found one that I like.”

“Would you like to accompany me to that place then?” Kageyama asked and the question came out more formal than he originally intended it to be.

“Just not on workdays,” was the reply he received and Kageyama took it as a yes. “Do you have a design in mind?”

Kageyama nodded. “I want a tree like yours.”

Kunimi breathed out air in amusement. “Well aren’t you creative,” was all he said as the two of them stepped outside the train.

“I just want a reminder, I guess,” Kageyama said after they stepped out of the train station, after the long silence that followed them.

“Of?”

“You.”

They’re now standing face to face near the crossing light and Kageyama cursed the fact that there’s not enough lighting for him to be able to see Kunimi’s face properly.

“Why do you need a reminder of me, Kageyama?”

Kageyama groaned before placing both of his hands on Kunimi’s shoulder. “Can we get to my place first? It’s too cold to have this kind of conversation outside,”

“Should’ve thought of that before,” Kunimi replied and if it wasn’t for the playful glint in his eyes, Kageyama would’ve thought he’s angry at him. “Now, why do you need a reminder of me?”

“Because I can’t bring you with me to Italy,”

“And why do you need to bring me to Italy?”

“Kunimi,” Kageyama said, exasperatedly, as he watched the latter throw his head in a fit of laughter. “You’re awful.”

“Guess it’s a good thing you decided not to bring me to Italy then,” Kunimi said before taking his hand out of his pocket and holding on to Kageyama’s. “Let’s go. I don’t want you to catch a cold. Kindaichi would kill me if he knows.”

Maybe it’s the alcohol from the small amount of sake he consumed, maybe it’s the cold winter weather, maybe it’s the sudden adrenaline rush from having his hand held by Kunimi, but Kageyama suddenly found himself unable to stop saying things that have been sitting peacefully at the back of his head for years.

“I’m tired of running.”

“We’re not running, we’re walking,” Kunimi said, stating the obvious while his gaze remains fixated on the road ahead.

“From you, I’m tired of running from you.” Kageyama clarified. “Middle school was tiring, high school was tiring, this is tiring.”

“Well too bad, because we’re going to keep running,” was all Kunimi said before he held Kageyama’s hand even tighter and began to literally run.

The night winter wind is cold and unforgiving and Kageyama was sure that he would definitely catch a cold tomorrow but, as he found himself staring at the back of Kunimi’s head while they both ran, he found himself not caring at all. They didn’t stop running until they reached an apartment building that Kageyama assumed is where Kunimi resides and Kunimi didn’t let go of his hands even as he unlocked his apartment’s door. It wasn’t until they were both seated on the couch of the living room that Kunimi finally let go of his hand.

“Now, what’s this about running from me?” Kunimi asked. His voice is soft and if it wasn’t for the serious tone in his voice, Kageyama would’ve thought he was dreaming.

And so Kageyama poured out the content of his heart for the first time to the one person who has staked his claim on it since the first time they met. He told him about all the running he has done since middle school and throughout high school, how he was sure he had run far enough for his heart to finally be his own again until the day they met again after the match between the Jackals and the Adlers. The day where Kageyama made a promise with both Kindaichi and Kunimi to play together again in the future.

“And then you showed up today with your face, and your eyes, and your tattoo, and I don’t know what to think or what to do and I don’t know how I can leave the country and live without you and I just-” Kageyama stopped himself to take a breath. “It’s too much.”

“What’s too much, Kageyama?”

“You. You’re too much. It’s not good for my health,” Kageyama muttered before laying his head down on the couch pillow. “I’m tired of running.”

Somehow, in the midst of it all, Kunimi has moved from sitting across from Kageyama on the couch to sitting on the floor while his hand gently runs through Kageyama’s hair.

“Then stop running,” Kunimi said. “Stop running and just come home to me.”

That is all it takes. It’s the simplest invitation one could possibly come up with but it’s enough for Kageyama to raise his head and press a light kiss at the corner of Kunimi’s mouth. Too scared to make any more movements that might rock the boat they’re currently in but also too tired to care.

“Stay the night. I’ll take you to the tattoo place tomorrow if you’re not sick.” Kunimi said, sure as always and Kageyama wondered why he even thought of running again in the first place.

And so he stayed at Kunimi’s place that night. And the next night. And the night after that. And the night after that. Until it’s time for him to leave the country and Kunimi behind. This time with less fear in his heart and a tattoo decorating his side rib.

Kunimi never let go of his claim on Kageyama’s heart but, for the first time since they met back in the old gymnasium of Kitagawa Daiichi Middle School, Kageyama doesn’t mind. It’s cheesy and sometimes he cringed at himself whenever the memory of the night came to him in the middle of his daily activities but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

* * *

If one were to compare the summer days in Miyagi and Tokyo altogether, one would probably choose the sunny and occasionally windy Miyagi summer compared to the humid Tokyo weather. Still, Kageyama found himself loosening his neck tie every so often and questioned both Tsukishima’s and Yachi’s decisions to hold an outdoor seaside wedding in July. The sun is on its way to disappear at the horizon and Kageyama can’t wait for the temperature to finally drop. His blazer had long been forgotten, draping over his designated chair, as he made his way to the dessert table.

Small talks were made especially since he’s familiar with most of the attendees. He was glad to see all of his old friends and teammates, yet also thankful that they have all decided to focus their attention more on Hinata and his white-haired boyfriend, who is also a former teammate of Kageyama. This allows him to grab a plate of caramel cake and leaves fairly undetected to make his way down to the pier, to the side of a beautiful boy.

Kunimi is beautiful and Kageyama is fully aware of that. But right now, as he took in the sight of his boyfriend leaning over the wooden railing of the pier with a cigarette on his mouth and the top two buttons of his formal shirt being undone, Kageyama was sure whoever invented the language he’s speaking right now didn’t anticipate someone like Kunimi. Somehow, between him staring at his boyfriend from afar and him making his way to stand beside him, Kunimi has long disposed of his cigarette.

“For you,” Kageyama offered him a plate of caramel cake and watched as a smile unfold on the usually stoic face of one Kunimi Akira.

“Thank you. It’s too hot and crowded at the dessert table,” Kunimi said before taking a bite of the cake.

“I know.” Kageyama’s eyes found the ashtray that Kunimi must have been using for a while and mentally counted the number of cigarette butts visible. “Only three? That’s impressive.”

“This cake is impressive too. Have you tried it?”

Kageyama shook his head, fully anticipating what came next. He opened his mouth and let himself be fed the cake by his boyfriend. “It’s good,” he mumbled in between chewing.

“Disgusting,” Kunimi told him off and Kageyama lightly shoved his shoulder in return, earning a small laugh from the other man. “My compliments to the chef.”

The tattoo on Kunimi’s pale chest is even more apparent now and Kageyama wondered if he were to wear his shirt like Kunimi, with the top two buttons undone, would the mark on his chest look as beautiful as it is on Kunimi’s. Somehow, throughout the course of their relationship, Kunimi managed to get two more tattoos whereas Kageyama got three. From a small tree at the side of his ribs, to a small castle on his chest, to a small crow at their back. All of his tattoos matched Kunimi’s, serving its purposes as a reminder for both of them whenever they’re not physically together.

In a blink of eyes, the cake plate was empty and Kunimi’s shirt was now properly buttoned up, hiding his tattoo from the world. 

“What are you thinking about?” Kunimi asked, with his eyes closed and his head tilted backwards, basking in the sunlight.

“You. Us.” Kageyama replied before realizing that Kunimi has been holding on to his hand for a while.

Kunimi hummed in return. “Who do you think will get married next from our group? My best bet is Hinata but Kindaichi moves fast so who knows.”

“How about you and me?”

“Excuse me?” Kunimi snapped himself from his current position and is now standing face to face with Kageyama. “Can you please repeat that?”

“Why not just make it us?” Kageyama asked as he took both of Kunimi’s hands into his. “Did you know? Some couples didn’t even get rings and got tattooed on their ring fingers instead.”

“Do they now,” Kunimi let out a whistle before saying, “Too bad for you, I like rings. Besides, I love Hitoka-chan too much to let her special day be upstaged by your corny proposal so-”

“So I’ll just propose to you tomorrow morning with a ring,” Kageyama shrugged, lightly patting his front pocket. “Or I can just propose to you right here right now while the others are paying attention to the event.”

Somehow in between all of that, Kunimi allowed himself to be dragged by Kageyama to the edge of the pier where he proceeded to kneel on one knee in front of his boyfriend and properly proposed to him. Kunimi mumbled a barely audible yes before taking the ring and placing it on himself, admiring it for a moment before Kageyama pulled him in an embrace.

That night, as Kageyama lay down on his bed with Kunimi by his side, he realized how funny it is that ever since he met Kunimi Akira years ago, his life in Miyagi has been in a constant state of running. It wasn’t until that cold winter night in Tokyo where Kageyama realized that the person he has been running away from was himself. Loving Kunimi Akira is easy, forgetting him is hard and so Kageyama, after years and years of running, caved and decided to choose the easy way and let love show him the way.

And love did. For love is the similar marks on both of their bodies, serving as both a reminder and a form of commitment. Love is communication and patience, two things they often found themselves being on opposite sides of the spectrum but somehow still managed to make it work. Love is waking up next to Kunimi Akira in the morning and deciding that staying in is a better choice. It always is.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading. as always, don't be shy to leave a kudo or comment.  
> feel free to interact with me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/bobaheroine) as well.


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